Long-term function of persons with atherosclerotic bilateral below-knee amputation living in the inner city.

Long-term function of 24 elderly persons with atherosclerotic bilateral below-knee amputation living in an inner city for at least six months after the second amputation, was determined. Twenty-one (87.6%) subjects were living at home; three were living in nursing homes. Fourteen (70%) of 20 subjects who received bilateral prostheses were ambulators. At interview, the mean age was 75.2 years; 4.87 years was the mean time since the second amputation. Ten (50%) subjects remained ambulatory. Among the other ten who received prosthesis, loss of ambulation occurred mostly due to medical factors, at an average of 3.47 years after the second amputation. Those no longer ambulatory were older and "sicker," and the interval between amputations was shorter. Fifteen (62.5%) subjects were independent in dressing, 14 (58.4%) in toileting, and only nine (33.3%) in bathing. All but one subject required housekeeping assistance. The anticipated effect on function of environmental and socioeconomic factors could not be demonstrated in this sample. Survival time and retention of ambulatory skills for an average of nine years after the second amputation in eight (33.3%) subjects who died before the end of the study was longer than previously described. The high rate of success in rehabilitation and in maintenance of ambulatory skills fully justifies intensive restorative efforts for this group of amputees.